When I arrived, Dream Restaurant was already engulfed in flames.
The explosion seemed to have happened on the second floor, with the fire surging upward from there.
One glance told me just how intense the blaze was. People were spilling out of the building from the first floor, while a crowd of hundreds gathered around, watching as the staff members frantically directed and rescued people from the scene.
“Please step back! Shards of broken glass are scattered around! It’s very dangerous!”
The staff were doing their best to keep the onlookers away. Just as I arrived, Shoko caught up with me.
“No way— Mai Kawase is in there!?”
“Mai! Hey, Mai! Answer me!”
I called out to Mai over the radio again and again, but there was no response. An unbearable, burning anxiety started filling my chest. Was Mai really in there? No, maybe she had already finished eating and left…
—No, if she had left, she would have responded on the radio. Plus, I didn’t pass her on the way from Dream Restaurant to the Lost Child Center.
Mai was in there. She hadn’t escaped yet.
Another explosion erupted, this time on the third floor. The shockwave sent glass fragments raining down, and screams echoed all around us.
“It’s dangerous! Step back!”
Flames were starting to lick up to the third floor, and it seemed like the building would soon be completely lost to the fire.
“Where’s the fire truck?!”
“It’s supposed to arrive within three minutes!”
“The fire extinguishers?!”
“We’re gathering them now!”
I overheard the staff’s conversation. It sounded like the fire truck would still take around three minutes to arrive.
Three minutes in that inferno… It’s more than enough time for people to die.
“—Excuse me!”
I called out to a woman who had just escaped from the first floor.
“Did you see a high school girl inside? About this tall, with black hair, looking a bit timid, wearing clothes kind of like this…”
“Yes! I did see her! She was helping guide people who couldn’t escape.”
I clenched my teeth. That had to be Mai. No one else would do something like that. So she’s still in there…
If this woman managed to escape after seeing Mai, then Mai should’ve been able to escape too. But instead, she’s once again risking her life to help others.
Gradually, people stopped coming out of the first floor. Did that mean everyone was out… or that those still inside were trapped?
Was Mai one of those trapped people? Or was she trying to save someone else who had nowhere to go?
“Mai! Answer me!”
I kept calling her, but the radio remained silent. Shoko was watching the burning restaurant with a tense expression, holding her breath.
…Why hasn’t Mai come out yet? Haven’t all the people left by now? She should be able to get out by now. Why isn’t she responding on the radio?
Finally, flames started reaching the first floor. The fire from the second floor was spreading, and soon the entire ground floor would be engulfed. If that happened… how would Mai escape?
“Damn it!”
Pushing through the crowd, I sprinted toward Dream Restaurant.
“Yuichi!”
Shoko grabbed my arm, stopping me in my tracks. She shook her head desperately.
“No, Yuichi. Please, just hold on. The fire trucks will be here soon.”
“…”
I looked straight into Shoko’s eyes.
“…Thank you, Shoko. For worrying about me.”
“…”
“You said it yourself earlier, didn’t you? That Mai and I are alike. In times like this, I know exactly what she would do…”
“…”
“I want to save her.”
“…That’s not fair.”
After a long pause, Shoko squeezed my arm tightly once, then slowly released her grip.
I dashed toward Dream Restaurant without looking back, ignoring the shouts of the staff trying to stop me. I pushed through the flames engulfing the first floor and raced up the stairs.
“—Urgh…!”
The second floor was a blazing hell. My entire vision was dominated by roaring red flames, devouring everything in sight. The collapsing ceiling and beams crushed tables, and thick, suffocating smoke surrounded me, making it almost impossible to keep my eyes open.
“Mai! Where are you!? Mai!”
I pressed a handkerchief against my face and shouted as loud as I could. No response. I tried to steady my pounding heart and assess the situation calmly.
Despite the fire, I managed to get from the first floor to the second. If Mai was on the second floor, she could’ve escaped. So that means she must be on the third floor.
Of the two staircases leading up, one was completely blocked by flames. The only option left was the other staircase, but the fallen ceiling was blocking the way, making it difficult to proceed.
If I could just clear this debris, the path would be open. Without hesitation, I reached out to the rubble.
“—Gah! Aaaagh!”
The burning debris instantly seared my hands.
I gritted my teeth and threw the debris behind me, pushing the remaining obstacles aside one by one. My hands were burnt raw, the smell of charred flesh filling my nostrils.
After clearing the rubble blocking the path, I finally reached the third floor. The third floor was just as bad as the second.
Actually, it might have been worse. Unlike the relatively open space of the second floor, the intricate interior design of the third floor created a maze, with debris blocking passageways.
No doubt about it—Mai was trapped somewhere, unable to escape.
“Mai! Are you there!? Answer me, Ma—”
I tripped on something small and metallic. Looking down, I realized it was a tiny radio.
“—!”
It was the same radio I’d been issued as a volunteer. No doubt it was Mai’s. She must’ve dropped it in the chaos after the explosion or while guiding people out. I picked up the radio and slipped it into my pocket.
“—Is that you, Yuichi-san!?”
Just then, I heard a voice calling out faintly from a distance. It was unmistakably Mai.
“Mai! Where are you?!”
“Over here! I’m in the men’s restroom!”
I hurried toward the restroom, only to find the passageway blocked by a tilted pillar. That’s why Mai was stuck inside.
Ignoring the heat scorching my arms and chest, I clung to the pillar and pushed it aside, roaring with pain as the searing heat bit into my skin.
Fueled by sheer adrenaline, I managed to topple the pillar, clearing the way to the restroom.
“Mai!”
“Yuichi-sa— Yuichi-san… your burns…”
Mai froze in shock when she saw me. Only then did I realize just how bad my condition was—my clothes and body were a mess. But there was no time to worry about that.
“We’re getting out of here, Mai! Wait… you’ve got Hayato with you.”
Mai was holding Hayato in her arms. He seemed unconscious, but he was still breathing.
I understood the situation immediately. Hayato must have been in the restroom when the explosion happened. After guiding the other customers to safety, Mai realized he was missing and came to look for him, only to get trapped.
“He inhaled a lot of smoke…”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine… somehow.”
But even this restroom was filled with smoke. Escaping the flames wouldn’t matter if the smoke alone was enough to kill us.
The only ventilation in this restroom was a small window. Escaping through there wasn’t an option.
“We have to get out of here. I cleared the pillar blocking the way.”
“Right.”
Since my hands were burnt and I couldn’t carry Hayato, Mai carefully lifted him, and we headed back the way I came. As long as the situation hadn’t changed since I arrived, there should be a clear path to the first floor.
“—Wait, what the…?”
But as soon as I thought that, I was hit with a crushing realization.
The staircase I came up was now collapsed. If it were just me, I could maybe make it down, but the bottom of the staircase was buried in flaming debris. There was no way I could safely make it down while carrying Hayato.
The other staircase was completely engulfed in flames. No amount of rubble-clearing would make that path usable.
Mai looked at the destruction, speechless. It seemed like all our escape routes were cut off.
“—Yuichi, can you hear me?”
Just then, Shoko’s voice crackled over the radio.
“I can hear you.”
“Thank goodness… you’re alive… What’s the situation!?”
“I found Mai on the third floor, along with a child who’s unconscious… but the stairs are gone, and we can’t get down.”
I heard Shoko gasp.
“Yuichi, there’s a restaurant employee here with me. I’ll ask if there’s another way out!”
“…Shoko. Thanks… for everything.”
“Don’t say stuff like that! If you die, I’ll kill you!”
The radio cut off. I took out the radio I’d found and handed it to Mai.
“Take this.”
“Oh, Yuichi-san… you picked this up?”
“Shoko’s looking for an escape route. Follow her instructions through this.”
Mai nodded, turned on the radio, and put in her earpiece.
“Yuichi, can you hear me?”
Shoko’s voice came back on the line.
“The fire on the second floor is too intense; we can’t get a ladder close enough. So you’ll have to either go down to the first floor or jump from the third floor. Can you manage that?”
“No way. There’s a child here.”
“The rescue mats won’t arrive in time. You’ll have to make it to the first floor. Listen, the stairs that collapsed were for the customers, but at the end of the hall, there’s a narrow stairway for the employees. Head there, and I’ll guide you from here. You said you’re by the third-floor restroom?”
“That’s right. Hurry up; we’re running out of time.”
“Turn right.”
“No good; it’s blocked.”
“Then left!”
“Let’s go, left it is!”
I led the way, with Mai following close behind, carrying Hayato as she struggled to keep up.
“Do you see an L-shaped table on your left!?”
“Everything’s on fire! I can’t see a thing!”
“Under the big light!”
“—There it is! I see it!”
“Keep it on your left and go straight!”
“It’s a dead end.”
“Then go right!”
“Right—here it is!”
Sure enough, there was a narrow staircase. It was intact, with only minimal flames, and seemed to lead all the way down to the first floor.
“Nice work, Shoko! Mai, you go first!”
I urged Mai down the stairs, trying to shield her from the flames behind us. She was breathing heavily, giving it her all to keep going.
We raced down the stairs. Just as we were about halfway down the second floor, there was a thunderous crash. The ceiling collapsed right above us, and Mai looked up. There was no time—
Without thinking, I shoved Mai forward. Pain shot through my lower body immediately.
“Urgh… uh… Yuichi-san…”
Mai looked back, her face drained of color.
My legs were completely crushed under the debris. There was no need to check to know my bones were shattered. Muscles torn, blood spilled from the wounds.
“Nooooo! Yuichi-san!”
Mai screamed, frantically trying to lift the debris off my legs. But there was no way she could. And I certainly didn’t have the strength left to help her.
“Yuichi-san! Why… why would you do this?!”
Half-crazed, Mai kept struggling against the rubble, blood dripping from her torn fingers. Despite the unbearable pain, I mustered my remaining strength and shoved her away with my free arms.
“…Go…”
If she wasted time here, even escaping the first floor might become impossible. And more than that, I couldn’t let Hayato breathe in any more smoke.
But Mai shook her head firmly, refusing to move.
“You have to come too, Yuichi-san!”
“I’ll manage. Save Hayato.”
“But…!”
“Don’t let the kid die!”
Mai’s body shivered at my words.
Her eyes filled with big, fat tears.
“No… No… You told me, Yuichi-san… You told me not to help people by sacrificing myself… So why… why now?”
“I didn’t do this lightly.”
It was just… I prioritized you over my own life. That’s all.
I cared about you enough to make that choice.
“Go. You can’t clear this rubble. Get help and come back. Otherwise, I really will die here.”
“…”
Mai held Hayato tightly and started to stand.
“I’ll bring help! So, please don’t die, Yuichi-san!”
Mai ran off. Shortly after, the ceiling above me collapsed again, and I heard her desperate footsteps fade away. Staring at the dimly lit radio in my pocket, I spoke softly.
“…Mai, can you hear me?”
I tried to shift the debris crushing my legs, but it was hopeless. The flames were creeping closer, the heat growing intense. I continued speaking, knowing my time was running out.
“I’m glad I met you. You reminded me of something I’d forgotten. You don’t need a reason to help people… It’s something so simple, but I’d forgotten it until I met you.”
‘Stop it, Yuichi-san! I’m on the first floor now! I’ll get help right away!’
“Mai, you’re not wrong. Even if the world forgets gratitude and starts questioning the meaning of kindness, I’m glad people like you exist… to remind us that we can care for others.”
‘Yuichi-san! No, please—no, don’t take me away!’
‘Are you okay? Come over here, quick!’
‘Two survivors secured! One in critical condition! Immediate transport required—’
‘There’s still someone inside! Yuichi-san—please, save Yuichi-san!’
After turning off the radio, I allowed my body to relax, watching the radio’s steady light.
“Thank you, Mai.”
The flames were close now. I felt my toes start to burn, but the nerves were already numb, and the pain barely registered.
In that crimson-drenched vision, there was no despair. I was just relieved that Mai was safe. As my consciousness began to fade, I closed my eyes without resistance.
“…Yuichi…”
A familiar voice stirred me, and I opened my eyes. There, standing amidst the flames, was a woman. A familiar face. A familiar voice. I remembered it all vividly.
“…It’s been a while, sis. Are you here to take me away?”
My sister was there, her translucent figure tinted red by the flames, her weightless right hand gently touching my cheek.
“Do you resent me?”
“…For a while, maybe. I wanted you to live, not some stranger. I couldn’t understand why you didn’t save yourself…”
But now, I understood.
“But that wasn’t it, was it? Saving people isn’t about logic, is it?”
Who benefits from saving who, what points it earns, or whether it’s worth the risks you’re taking… Helping others isn’t about any of that.
When you see someone struggling, you want to help them. That’s all there is to it—a simple, pure desire.
“Do you regret it?”
“This mess?—Not a bit. If I’d let Shoko hold me back, weighing the risks, I think I would’ve regretted it a lot more. This… this was the result, but… I’m just glad I could save someone precious to me.”
My sister gave a gentle smile and patted my head.
“By the way, sis… haven’t you moved on? Or have you come to welcome me as an angel?”
“No, this is a dream, Yuichi.”
There was a snap of fingers.
The next thing I knew, I was standing on my own two feet. The heat, the choking smoke, the burning scenery—all of it had vanished.
In its place was a pure white scene, and a woman in white robes stood before me.
“Ah, so you’re here, Yuichi. You arrived quite early, didn’t you?”
God wore her usual loose smile, her face free of any tension.
“…So, I’m dead.”
“Sadly, yes. But you were lucky. Instead of burning alive, you lost consciousness from carbon monoxide poisoning. There wasn’t much pain, was there?”
“What about Mai and Hayato?”
“They’re both safe. Hayato would have been in danger if rescue had been delayed any longer, but he owes his life to you.”
“I see… That’s good to hear.”
“It really is. Words like ‘that’s good’ should be used when people survive, not when they die.”
“That doesn’t matter. So, what happens to me now?”
“We’ll conduct a final dream review and calculate your Human Level. After that…”
God pointed behind me. Turning around, I saw a golden door emitting a soft light from within.
“Enter through that door. Inside, you’ll find a reception area where you can complete some paperwork and get your residency status in heaven.”
“…So, I’m going to heaven.”
“Of course. Now, shall we proceed with the dream review? You don’t need the breakdown, right? Your Human Level totaled 981 points. So close. Only 19 points short of a D rank.”
“I don’t care. Just get it over with.”
“But this is actually pretty important. Your last good deed should have scored much higher. The base score was high, and normally it would’ve received a bonus… but it seems that Kawase Mai couldn’t fully feel grateful from the bottom of her heart. If she had, you would’ve reached D rank. Do you know why?”
I chuckled bitterly at God’s question. I didn’t need to be told.
Mai wouldn’t have wanted me to save her by sacrificing myself. She might even regret causing my death. That regret was the brake. Very much like her.
“I see it was none of my business.”
“I don’t have any questions. End the review.”
“Of course. Now, go through the door.”
Following her instructions, I walked toward the door and placed my hand on the knob.
“—You’re a rare type of person.”
God spoke abruptly.
“There have been others who criticized Human Level, but unlike them, you were angry about how Human Level tarnished people’s kindness itself. Without thinking of your own benefit, you only wanted one thing: that those who put in effort be appreciated for it… that’s all.”
“…It’s just common sense.”
“But as you know, Human Level doesn’t account for a person’s genuine kindness. That’s always bothered you, hasn’t it?”
“It still does.”
“Me too.”
I tilted my head in confusion.
“I became the administrator of Human Level eight years ago, but my job was only to set the base and bonus values for good deeds. I didn’t create the system itself. In its current form, Human Level doesn’t reflect genuine kindness… and I find that disturbing. I’m thinking of rebuilding the system.”
“Go ahead, knock yourself out.”
“But it’s difficult on my own, and I want a capable partner—someone fair enough to measure kindness accurately, someone dissatisfied with the current system, with a gentle heart.”
“…I’m not cut out for that.”
Ignoring her words, I turned the knob.
The radiant light enveloped me.
“No, you’re more than qualified. Clearing the final review so easily is proof enough.”
“The final review…? When did I do that?”
“Just now. In your dream.”
“—What?”
In the dream… My sister appeared and asked me some questions, but that was—
“That was you…?”
“When do you think a hypocrite regrets their hypocrisy?”
God winked playfully.
“It’s when they realize their good deeds bring them no personal gain. You acted selflessly for others. You didn’t expect anything in return… Your kindness is proven.”
“—Welcome to heaven, Yuichi. We’re glad to have you.”
